TV networks historically have sold ads targeting broad groups of people, but they’ve been less known for targeting specific audiences.
AMC Networks Inc.
AMCX -0.36%
wants to change that.

The media company, which owns AMC, SundanceTV, WE tv and IFC, has partnered with technology company Sorenson Media to send different ads to different households’ smart TV screens based on data about viewers and their behavior. Sorenson’s ad-targeting technology currently only works on TVs made by Samsung, but the company said it’s in the process of partnering with additional TV manufacturers.

Networks generally sell ads based on broad age and gender demographics. The ability to serve more targeted ads to individual households, often described as “addressable advertising,” allows TV networks to charge higher ad rates.

“Addressable advertising has been something that’s grown in popularity with advertisers,” said Adam Gaynor, vice president of AMC Networks’s advanced ad sales group. “Bringing this capability into our toolbox allows us to enhance the opportunity for existing clients and bring new clients into the AMC Networks family.”

TV networks like AMC have come under pressure to try new ad sales tactics as they face stepped-up competition from digital outlets and consumers tune out or skip TV ads. A handful of media companies, including 21st Century Fox,
Viacom Inc.,AT&T Inc.’s
Turner cable networks and
Comcast Corp’s
NBCUniversal, partnered to create OpenAP, a consortium meant to help advertisers identify shows that reach specific audiences, such as people who like to drink soda. AT&T, which recently acquired Turner parent Time Warner, also has expressed an interest in building a TV ad market and making national TV ads addressable.

With Sorenson, AMC will allow advertisers to buy a 30-second national ad, but instead of only showing one ad to everyone watching that show, the network will be able to show different ads to different households. For example, if an automaker purchases a 30-second ad unit during the “Walking Dead,” AMC will now be able to send a truck ad to the Samsung TV screen of a farmer in Illinois, and a sports car ad to the screen of a 20-something car enthusiast or in Los Angeles. The rest of the people watching the show at that time might see an ad for a standard four-door car or minivan.

Sorenson then provides AMC with a report on the number of impressions or views an ad gets after retrieving anonymized viewing data from the TV manufacturers. Historically, networks have relied largely on Nielsen to measure programming views.

“Addressable TV affords advertisers the opportunity to be more efficient in reaching intended audiences” at a time when it’s “harder to reach audiences,” said Mr. Gaynor.

Addressable TV advertising typically has only been possible for pay-TV operators like Comcast and AT&T’s DirecTV, which have access to two minutes of TV ad time per hour to sell to local advertisers. Sorenson’s technology allows networks to get in on the action, said Pat Ivers, chief revenue officer of Sorenson.

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